About the Book

The idea that the United States is in a state of rapid, fundamental decline is now widely proclaimed. What started as speculation has in recent years become a chorus of voices and is now a pervasive din. Columnists, classical historians, international economists, European allies, Chinese generals, and the wider blogosphere pronounce and repeat the idea. For some, the transformation is welcomed and embraced, for others it is expressed with deep concern, but there can be little doubt that the notion is widely shared.

Power and Willpower in the American Future argues that the United States is not destined to decline. Much of the discourse about decline appears exaggerated, hyperbolic and ahistorical. Why? First, because of the deep underlying strengths of the United States. These include not only size, population, demography and resources, but also the scale and importance of its economy and financial markets, its scientific research and technology, its competitiveness, its military power and its attractiveness to talented immigrants. Second, there is the weight of history and of American exceptionalism. Throughout its history, the United States has repeatedly faced and eventually overcome daunting challenges and crises. Contrary to a prevailing pessimism, there is nothing inevitable about American decline. Ultimately, the ability to avoid serious decline is less a question of material factors than of policy, leadership and political will.

In this provocative, extensively researched book, Professor Robert J. Lieber lays out the case against pessimism about America's future. He shows that declinists are recapitulating arguments that have been made before, and shows that their concerns are likely to be as overblown now as they were. Nevertheless, he argues that American supremacy is no more inevitable than its decline. Whether America remains the world's leading power depends on its will -- the political agreement and choices necessary to preserve U.S. leadership as a force for good in the world.